Rose and the Doctor go to Versailles (Inadvertently)
by silversurfer60
Summary: What would happen if The Doctor accidentally takes Rose to a dance at the French Royal Court only to find Madame De Pompadour dancing with the King and she recognises him? Fun ensues as the two women fight to dance with The Doctor and the King is left somewhat puzzled. Events are before the King has been introduced to The Doctor.


This was inspired by one of my other story 'Are you going to Gracepoint' when Rose ponders if she is going to have to fight over Emmett Carver with the hotel owner and mentions a certain Frenchwoman and I thought it would be fun if The Doctor and Rose inadvertently go back and meet her and Rose comes face to face with Reinette after she had kissed him and he had gone back to Rose and Mickey and Rose doesn't know about it. What will The Doctor do? Also inspired by another story 'Rose and The Doctor go dancing'

I know nothing about dance etiquette in 18th century France, I sort of based it on English rules of the 18th and 19th centuries and it may not be wholly accurate but serves it's purpose of making Rose think it's amusing and wanting to break the stupid rules plus I am not a great fan of Reinette or Moffat's treatment of Rose in that episode.

**Meeting an old friend**

"Come on Rose, how long does it take you to chose a dress?" said The Doctor impatiently as he stood outside the Tardis wardrobe having changed his shirt and tie but since it was a fancy dress ball, thought he would be certainly different and wear his favourite suit and his black converse shoes.

Rose was spoilt for choice inside the massive wardrobe, she thought the ship provided for any and every occasion and when she had asked for the appropriate attire had difficulty choosing something for the time period they were going to. What she didn't know was he had got the timing wrong again, not by decades or centuries as he usually did but by a few years and a few countries. Same type of ball, different people. He just wanted Rose to have a fancy night out and enjoy herself after they had left Mickey behind on the alternate world. So he had taken them to a fancy country estate and was going to use his psychic paper as their invitation.

Rose finally emerged, wearing something entirely different to what he had expected. The way she was dressed she looked amazing and he knew if he didn't do something about the feelings he had for her soon he would lose her. Mickey had been holding him back, that's what he had told himself and was convinced that while Mickey was around he would be pretty safe and not have to confront her about it. He had to face the fact he had used Mickey as an excuse and now he couldn't use him anymore. He was going to have to man up and do something about it especially after tonight. All the men would be forming a queue to dance with her. It was the type of dance where single women were expected to 'mingle' and it was frowned upon to dance with one man all night if you weren't married or engaged and it was considered impolite to refuse to dance with a man then go dance with another no matter how obnoxious the man happened to be and rude of a gentleman to refuse to dance with a woman if she was plain looking or not.

He could pretend he was married to her but she might think he was being a little over the top and she might not play along, she might want to dance with other men. She was stood in front of him looking stunning with her hair swept back, her earrings and a rather particularly shapely dress, modest but non the less it showed her figure.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked as she twirled around. "And if you say something about being human, I'll deck you." she laughed.

"I was going to say no such thing Rose Tyler, I was going to say you look amazing. Shall we go to the ball?" he asked, holding out his arm for her to link hers.

"You have our invitation? I don't want to gate-crash or get thrown out or anything. You promised me a night of proper dancing so I hope you've been brushing up on the latest dances of the period."

"Of course I have, I've been studying them very closely. I know I said I didn't dance but since we danced around in the Tardis that time to Glen Miller it all came back to me and when we brought up the subject before, I thought you meant the term 'dancing' as something entirely different since Jack was around."

They both laughed as they remembered all too well that The Doctor in his then form had got the wrong idea about 'dancing' as he had not been all that up to date with modern earth terms. They walked to the console room and he opened the doors for them to step into what could only be described as a large reception area with people standing in line waiting to be allowed to enter the ballroom. As they were about to step out, Rose said if he had landed them at a 1980's disco and she was dressed like this she was going to kill him later.

They had landed in a secluded corner behind a rather large potted palm tree and they sneaked to the back of the queue to wait their turn. Rose was surprised that no-one questioned The Doctor's outfit since it stood out a mile to her compared to what she was wearing and she thought he must have put some kind of perception filter on his appearance. "Trust him not to have to get all dressed up, I could have worn my mini skirt and pink top if I'd known he wasn't going to play fair" she thought as they waited their turn.

One more couple in front of them, well not a couple, two middle aged women who Rose thought were wearing a little too much make-up that they looked like two men in pantomime dressed up as women and she had to suppress a giggle especially as they handed in their invitations and one of them spoke. The Doctor just nudged her and told her not to be rude. Huh? He has some room to talk, she was thinking.

The Doctor strode up to the footman taking the invitations, whipped his psychic paper out of his pocket that read 'Sir Doctor of Tardis and Dame Rose of the Powell Estate' in suddenly gold fancy writing and he introduced himself and Rose. The footman stared at the blank piece of paper and Rose thought the game was already up until the man echoed The Doctor's words to the crowds and allowed them in without even bothering to take the 'invitation' from a now grinning Doctor. Sometimes Rose just gave up when he smirked about something after getting away with it, he was too clever for his own good from time to time.

They entered the vast ballroom crowded with people in almost fancy dress, some of them wearing masks which Rose thought looked quite funny since they didn't really hide their faces, she allowed him to drag her over to a quiet corner and give her instructions on how to behave. "Huh, the cheek of him telling me how to behave," she thought as she half listened to what he was saying. She nudged his arm as an elderly woman stood behind him.

"Excuse me Sir, you're not allowed to talk to a woman unless you are dancing with her, not unless you have been formally introduced and the lady is chaperoned," the woman announced.

"Erm, I don't seem to have one. Do I need one? I was just going to dance with my friend here," Rose said back, hoping she could stick with him all night and make him squirm.

"You certainly do need a chaperone young lady, have you no manners? It is bad etiquette not to have a chaperone on these occasions and you most certainly are not allowed to dance with one gentleman the entire evening if he is not your husband and without being properly introduced. Now please, go join the rest of the single ladies," she instructed Rose. "Really, has no-one instructed you about these occasions, I am really surprised."

"This is my first dance, so what am I supposed to do?" Rose asked, dying to run off.

Rose glanced at The Doctor who seemed to be enjoying this, he was rubbing his eye and trying not to laugh out loud, she was so going to get him back for this.

The woman was getting slightly annoyed. "You go join the ladies over there and gentlemen approach you and ask you for a dance. Just watch what the other ladies do."

"What if I don't like the man who asks me to dance?" Rose asked, feeling rebellious and dying to laugh.

"It is rude to refuse, only the King and members of the royal court are allowed to dance with whom they please."

"What if I don't have anyone asking me to dance?"

"Then another gentleman may approach you at any time and ask if you are free for a dance. It is rude to refuse to dance with a man and then accept another offer for the same dance.

"Well, if the same man keeps asking me to dance, is that ok?" Rose was determined she was going to break all the rules without actually getting thrown out. She could see The Doctor was about to disown her.

The woman just shook her head in despair, where do these young ladies come from?

The woman pointed to a group of ladies sat on various couches and chairs, fanning themselves and Rose had to suppress a laugh as it reminded her of a film she had once seen about a house of disrepute and thought that was what this was, an old fashioned way of a 'dating' agency. The single women were put on display for men to pick up. Well she wasn't going to have any of that and she was going to tell The Doctor as much before she was marched over and made to join the others. She hung back from the older woman and pulled him to one side.

"You had better keep coming and ask me to dance with you or you'll know about it when we get back to the Tardis."

The Doctor just grinned at her. "Oh don't worry Rose, I'm sure you'll have them queuing by the dozen to ask you to dance." Now was the time to test his theory. If Rose was presented with dozens of men to dance with, would she still choose him? Or would she turn them all down and dance with him all night?

"Well you had better follow me and make sure you're the first one to ask me or there will be trouble."

He just smiled and nodded in the direction the other woman had gone in. "Go on then, join the others," he laughed.

Rose walked off saying she was so going to kill him later. She went to join the other ladies and was introduced to another woman, Rose wasn't listening for her name but she was obviously the women's chaperone.

"And you are?" the woman looked Rose up and down to make sure she was presentable.

"Dame Rose," she replied.

"And where are you from? We haven't met before."

"Oh, it's quite a large estate," Rose replied, trying not to laugh. Well it was, she just didn't own it.

"Well when a gentleman approaches you to ask for a dance, be polite and ask him to introduce himself properly then you introduce him to me and if I approve, you are allowed to dance with him. You are not allowed to refuse to dance then accept another offer for the same dance. Is that understood?"

"Yes Ma'am," came the blunt reply. This was going to be hard work and she was not going to enjoy it. Why hadn't The Doctor said she was his wife or something? Trust him, clueless when it came to women. She hoped he would take notice of what she had said and be the first one to ask her. They were supposed to be here to have fun, it was not going to be fun with a load of old blokes trying to grope her all night pretending to be dancing with her. She was just going to have to turn them all down.

She sat herself down waiting for the music to begin as guest were still arriving. This must be a royal dance or something she was thinking, if a king had been mentioned. The music eventually began, Rose was getting bored. She could see The Doctor talking with another man, probably about nothing knowing him, he was the only person she knew who could spend hours talking about nothing. She kept trying to catch his eye to say to come and rescue her but he was ignoring her on purpose. Right, if that was how he wanted to play it, so be it.

It was announced the first dance would begin. The women remained seated and one by one, men came over and approached some of the women then lining up to be approved. The Doctor was taking his time, waiting to see if Rose would accept a dance then he walked over as some other man was about to approach her but he cut in and got there first.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, with a grin on his face.

Rose looked back and was about to say get lost for getting her into this and then she saw the bloke behind him and grabbed his hand and said yes, forgetting about formal introductions and chaperones, dragging him out onto the dance floor. She thought the older woman would come screaming after her but she didn't as they danced their way around the room. What she hadn't bargained for was the length of the dance, not her customary two minutes thirty seconds on the disco floor moving your body to and fro like a maniac but what seemed like an age of something like a waltz as she was guided around the room.

The music finally stopped, she should have gone back where she was but instead, she pulled him into a corner, hoping she wouldn't be spotted and herded back to wait with the other women.

"You've got to get me out of this Doctor, I'm not dancing with any of that lot. Can't you say you're my husband or something?"

"Rose, that would be a bit dishonest now, wouldn't it? Besides, you're not wearing a ring and you've already been caught out once. If it makes you feel any better, I'll keep coming over and ask you to dance, if someone doesn't beat me to it," he grinned.

"Well make sure you get there first then, don't dally on the way over. You might think it's funny but I don't. Where exactly are we? I heard something about royal court and king earlier are we in a royal court? There was something about the king and royalty being able to choose anyone they wanted to dance with."

He looked around and suddenly, the place did look a little familiar, like he had been here before now he came to think about it. Then he turned around and saw the mirror, the exact same mirror that he had broken when he had jumped through it on a horse to rescue Reinette and the mirror was still intact which meant…

Everyone in the room went silent as the doors opened and a trumpeter heralded an arrival – The King of France and the Royal Courtesans and in walked the king and Madam De Pompadour hand in hand.

ooooooooo{silversurfer60}ooooooooo

**Claws at fifty paces**

Rose stared, The Doctor stood with a look of shock on his face as the members of the French Royal Court stepped into the room one by one. It had not been all that long since they had left the Frenchwoman behind and now here they were again in Versailles. Rose hadn't been told exactly what had happened to her, only that he had arrived back too late but Rose knew her history and supposed it had been true. She didn't appear to have seen Rose or The Doctor as the pair paraded hand in hand around the court, they were partly hidden in the shadows but as guests all bowed in front of them one by one, they were exposed and the royal couple stopped as Reinette recognised them or rather she recognised him.

"Fireplace man. How is it even possible you are here? It has been many months since I last saw you."

The king was looking at her with a worried look on his face. She addressed The Doctor. "Oh," she said. "This is my lover, the King of France. She turned to the king. "This is the man I told you about who has watched over me from my childhood, The Doctor." She failed to mention he was the man she had taught to dance and was dancing with him when the king had entered the ballroom just a few months ago and whom she had kissed and wanted to more than just dance with him at the time.

The king held his hand out to The Doctor, who in turn shook the king's hand. Thankfully, the king had no remembrance of meeting them before and The Doctor surmised that this must be a ball just a few months after his first meeting with the grown up Reinette but before the clockwork droids had found her and captured her. She didn't appear to recognise Rose so it was some time before he had sent Rose to warn her the droids were coming back for her. If he remembered correctly, she had snogged him then had run off and then while they had been observing Reinette's first meeting with the king, he had intervened and had probed into her mind and she had turned the tables on him, then she had taken him to her chambers and had taught him to dance, a proper dance and taken him to make the king jealous by dancing with him as the king arrived. Then he had sneaked away to find Rose and Mickey had been captured and had pretended to be drunk to deceive the droids. Hopefully Reinette had only caught a few glimpses of Rose and wouldn't remember her.

That was not to be as Reinette observed Rose, who had forgotten her manners and had not bowed to her. "I know you too, you were with him in the fireplace and then when he came to save me that night. I do not think we have been properly introduced."

Rose was stunned, how did she remember her? "I'm Rose, The Doctor's friend."

She wanted to say she was more than a friend but their exact relationship was still to be determined and by the looks on their faces, it was now seriously in doubt she would be anything other than a friend. She hadn't wanted to be the one to tell Reinette the droids were coming back for her, she could sense the woman felt something for him after she had said he was worth the monsters but he had never spoken about her again and Rose hadn't pushed him but she hoped they had grown a bit closer since Mickey had left but it was all about to be reduced back to how they had been.

"Doctor, I must have the first dance with the king then I hope you will dance with me again."

"I look forward to it," answered The Doctor, reaching out and kissing the back of her hand. He failed to see Rose looking daggers at him.

Reinette and the king went off for their first dance and Rose snapped at him. "You said you would dance with me the rest of the night, what did you say that for?"

"Now then Rose, it would be rude to turn her down, it's just one dance, don't worry, I'll dance with you again later."

He wasn't getting away with it. "And just exactly what did she mean, dance with you again? You danced with her before? So that's why you left Mickey and me tied up by the droids, while you were gallivanting around the ballroom with her? Thanks a lot Doctor. We could have been chopped up and used for spare parts to repair the ship but hey, you were dancing with royalty, never mind us."

"Well how was I to know you'd go and get yourselves caught? If you'd not gone after them you wouldn't. Anyway, I came back for you didn't I? More than once if I recall."

Rose was annoyed with him. "Why did it take so long? Both times it took you ages to come back, the last time it was five and a half hours."

"You know about the last time, the time window was broken, I had to find another way back, which was due to Reinette so you may want to thank her for finding a way. She had her old fireplace moved here and it was still connected to the ship. If she hadn't told me about it, I would never have got back. The Tardis would have taken you home after twelve hours. She wouldn't have just left you there." He was saddened now that his best friend would question him. He was also saddened he'd had to leave Reinette behind to her fate and she had never seen the stars.

He couldn't let his old feelings come to surface, he knew it had upset Rose just when he was thinking about making something more of their friendship but Reinette had made a bold move unlike Rose, Rose had been possessed when she had kissed him, Reinette hadn't and he had done nothing about it even when she had teased him about 'dancing' and he could have taken it further if he had wanted to but he didn't, he couldn't leave Rose for a French aristocrat and live in the past with her, it would have re-written history and she was a fixed point.

By the time they had finished discussing the woman in question, Rose resorting to snide remarks about her as it became more apparent she was more than just a little bit jealous, the music had stopped and they had hardly moved. Rose was sulking, he knew it but did she have a reason to get jealous? He was just about to ask Rose to dance again when he was tapped on his shoulder.

"Doctor, you promised to dance with me?" Reinette said, looking at Rose. "You don't mind do you Rose?"

"No fine, don't mind me, I'm only the one that came here with him."

The Doctor looked at her, then at Reinette. How could he choose between the two of them? He loved Rose in his own way but she had said nothing to him about taking things further. Reinette on the other hand was practically throwing herself at him. Admittedly, when she had snogged him she had been younger and was not the king's mistress but she had more or less tried to lure him to her bedroom until he had insisted she really taught him to dance even though he already knew how. Now he risked alienating Rose and pushing back their already fragile 'on the brink' relationship as to whether to make anything of it or not.

Rose was determined not to get upset about it but watching the Frenchwoman walk off with him with her arm wrapped around him and then him putting his arms around her waist to dance with her, the green-eyed monster was lurking in the back of her mind. If she said anything to her, she might have her thrown in prison for insulting a member of the royal court then where would it get her? She just had to hope he only had the one dance and came back for her. Anyway, she was not going back to sit with the rest of the women to be put on show.

The Doctor was trying not to enjoy himself as he danced around the floor but she was holding herself a bit closer than she needed to and he hoped Rose couldn't see, he didn't want to make anything of this. He could have done, at the beginning but he knew how it all ended now and he was part of events and if he did make something of it, he would change those events. It may make the droids give up or it could change things for the worse, he may not be there to save her as the events unfolded on the spaceship or she could be in the wrong place and history could change. No, one dance was all she was going to get or he would be facing one very angry Rose Tyler.

Reinette had different plans, she was going to keep him dancing all night. She was a French noblewoman, Rose was just an ordinary girl, far too young for him and Rose had admitted she was just a friend. She loved the king with all her heart but she was only his mistress, he went home to his queen whenever he wanted. She could stay with The Doctor and he could show her all those things she had seen in his mind.

The dance came to an end, Rose thought it had gone on much longer than the one they had shared. She watched as he stood talking with Reinette, her arm was still around him but he had let go of her arm, the other still around her waist. Why couldn't he have done that with her? Why wasn't he walking back to her by now? She waited, they were still talking. The music started again. Was it considered rude to cut in or would she get her head chopped off for daring to do so? That woman had power and she would probably use it. No. She would have to give him another chance to come back or she may just retaliate and seek out the king and dance with him instead.

While the music had been stopped, he had tried to get away from Reinette but she wasn't letting go.

"I promised you one dance, I have to get back to Rose now, I brought her here."

"She will wait, I do not know when I will ever see you again, Doctor, it has been a few months, I could be old and grey by the time I see you again. Surely you can spare me a few more dances and stay with me a while longer?"

"Well, just one more then I have to go back, the king is waiting to dance with you. You don't want to make him really jealous this time do you?"

Reinette laughed and held on to him. "You mean like I am making your friend over there jealous?" she asked as she saw Rose waiting for him to go back to her. "She is just a child, she will get over it and so will the king, I am not his queen, I may do as I wish."

"Well that may be but I don't want locking up for trying to lure you away from him and you don't know what Rose is like. I promised to dance with her."

"And you shall, after I have finished dancing with you and after you come back to my chambers with me to finish that dancing lesson I gave you a few months ago."

What had he got himself into? He was thinking about this with Rose, not with her. Before he could say anything and protest, the music started again and she grabbed his hand and they began moving around the room again. He caught a glimpse of poor Rose still standing where he had left her but the way Reinette danced and held onto him, he knew she wanted more than to dance with him. The question was though, did he want her to? As the music was dying down and they came to a standstill, he tried to make good his escape before this escalated out of control but she wasn't letting go.

"Doctor, dance with me all night, then we can go to my chambers."

She was actually propositioning him, what was he going to do? He had to let her down gently or it would seriously create a paradox and she would remember the next time they met on the spaceship that they had done more than dancing. If he refused politely, they would still meet again and she may still help him get back but she was a woman who was not used to being refused anything she wanted, even if it was him. He had no choice, he would have to get Rose involved and the two women would have to fight over him then providing Rose won, which he knew instinctively she would, he was in the clear and Reinette would think it was fair and square. Hopefully the king would intervene and stop it before it actually came to blows and the Frenchwoman would not lower herself to get caught in a fight.

He thought quickly as to what his answer would be, he would stall for time. "Yes, right, dance all night. I should at least go and tell Rose so she won't wait and she'll find someone else to dance with," he managed to say, hoping sincerely Rose wouldn't do anything stupid like go and dance with the king. She wouldn't would she? She might, just to spite him and get her own back for dumping her here.

Much to his relief, Reinette agreed and let go of him. "I'll be right back," he said. Famous last words he was sure he had said somewhere else to another member of royalty somewhere or other.

He made his way over to a furious looking Rose who looked like she was really going to deck him. "Rose, I'm really sorry, she just wouldn't take no for an answer," he said apologetically.

"Well, you're here now and there are still a few dances left. I never realised just how long each one went on for. Come on then, before she marches back over here and drags you off again," was all she said as she took his hand and dragged him towards the dance floor where people were gathering for the next dance to begin.

He hesitated just at the edge of the floor. "Well, the thing is Rose, she now expects me to dance with her all night and since she's practically royalty, it would be considered a crime not to dance with her and she might have me arrested if I refuse. I'm a bit stuck really." He purposely left out the part about going to her chambers afterwards, he had already fed enough fuel to the fire. If he told her that bit, it would burn the palace down.

Rose was indeed fuming to say the very least as she finally broke her silence. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. He was going to spend the entire evening dancing with her? What did she have so special about her? Besides being stuck up and almost royalty that is. She wasn't going to let that French woman get the better of her any longer, royalty or not.

She simply said, "Well tough because you promised to dance with me before we even knew she was here so you go back and tell her you're dance card is full for the rest of the evening – with me. I was here first and you brought me to the dance, not her and it would be rude of you to leave me on my own."

"There are other men to dance with you know," he offered in his defence. He somehow thought that wasn't going to get him off the hook with either of them. There was a war brewing and he was going to be right in the middle of it, just as he had planned, not that he condoned fighting of any kind but two women fighting over him he would let slide just this once. He continued. "I can't just go back and say that, she'll have me locked up. What am I going to say to her?"

Rose took the bait unknowingly. "Well I can solve that," she replied as she took his hand back, tugged at his other arm and placed it around her waist and pulled him towards her even closer than previously as she edged them onto the floor just as the music started. She just managed to catch a glimpse of Reinette and smirked to herself. Now she knew how it felt.

The Doctor was spun around the floor not even having chance to pull himself slightly away from Rose, not that he was complaining. He did manage to catch a glimpse of his last dance partner looking slightly put out and knew this would only end one way – the two woman would settle this as only women could and he knew Rose was exactly like her mother and had an overall advantage. While the music was playing he had a reprieve but the sparks would fly once it had stopped. He would have to play the innocent caught in the middle and hope for the best.

The music did stop, he and Rose were somehow in the centre of the floor as a furious looking Reinette was glaring at them. Rose wasn't letting him go, holding onto his waist just like the other woman did but he was enjoying this better. He really hoped Rose wouldn't give up easily and she would win and if she didn't, well he was going to have to ruffle a few feather and risk getting thrown out of the court and also risk Reinette refusing his help with what was to come for her. He couldn't risk losing Rose or confining her to a life of her watching him with Reinette or going back dejectedly to the Tardis and going back to her mother and telling her he abandoned her again. He knew she had thought she had been abandoned when he had regenerated and he knew if he did it again even if he was a few centuries in the past, Jackie Tyler would make him pay.

Just as the music was about to start again, Reinette made her way towards them. Rose pretended not to see her by burying her head into his shoulder as he had his back to the approaching woman. She tapped him on his shoulder.

"I believe you said you would dance with me the rest of the evening Doctor." She glared at Rose again who had just lifted her head but tightened her grip on his hand.

"Excuse me Madame De Pompadour, I believe I was here first, he brought me here so it's only fair he dances with me all night." Isn't that right Doctor?" Rose said as she playfully moved her arm from his waist to his neck and practically hung off him.

The Doctor was trying to keep a straight face. This was what Rose was best at doing, playing games whether it was with him when she did that swaying of her hips in front of him when she wanted something and knew he would give in to her or warning someone off, she played the game very well. The music had started and people were trying to dance around them, staring as they did so.

"It is impolite to dance with the same man all night if you are not royalty or of the court. Besides that, he made a promise to come back and dance with me," Reinette replied, trying to grab his arm.

Rose firmly took it back and placed it back firmly around her waist. "You have the king to dance with, I'm dancing with him so get used to it lady."

The king had seen what was going on and had a way through the dancers cleared and appeared behind Reinette.

"What is going on her, who is this woman? How dare she speak to the royal mistress in such a manner? And how dare you, young lady stand there flaunting yourself at this man in public?"

Rose didn't realise she was still hanging onto The Doctor and moved quickly.

The king spoke again. "Reinette, would you care to explain why you are in conversation with these people? You are meant to be dancing with me tonight and I have already allowed you two dances with this man, well?

What could Reinette say? That she had invited him to her chambers later? Not really. "It is nothing, I will dance with you if you wish it so."

"Good. And you young lady, kindly remember where you are. You are in the royal court of Versailles not a cheap tavern." He turned to the Doctor who had managed to disentangle himself from Rose's clutches. "You Sir, should keep your young companion here in check and not allow her to show herself up in public." He then turned to Reinette. "Come, dance with me, I wish it so."

With that, the two of them left and Rose, never one to miss an opportunity, grabbed hold of him and they began to dance, Rose hardly able to stop herself from laughing. Three dances later, Rose saw Reinette leave with the king, just as it should be. She suspected the woman had wanted to do more than just dance with The Doctor but there was no way she was going to get the chance if she could help it. If she didn't do something herself about The Doctor soon, he would wander off with another woman whether it was Reinette or not.

As soon as people started to disperse, they sneaked back into the corner where they had left the Tardis and went back inside. Rose wanted to get out of her ridiculous dress she'd had to wear but not before she confronted him.

"She wanted you to go back to her bedroom with her didn't she?" Rose asked disappointedly.

He didn't answer. He went to mess about with the controls. Rose went after him and took his arm. What could he say? That he was half tempted but didn't want to lose her? That Rose meant more to him that he cared to admit? That he felt sorry for Reinette and he'd had to leave her behind twice now? Or that he had used Rose to get him out of an awkward situation before he was really tempted to do something and that he didn't know if she felt anything more than friendship for him when Reinette definitely had more than friendship on her mind?

"Doctor, answer me? Is that what she wanted?"

"Does it matter Rose? I didn't go with her did I? I know I shouldn't have gone off and left you but I only intended to have one dance with her. I told her I brought you to the dance and I should stay with you, she made me stay and I didn't do anything about it. It was only when she told me her intention that I came back to you. I couldn't bring myself to tell her I couldn't go with her."

"Why not? Why couldn't you go with her?" Rose asked innocently. She had to know the reason why he left her alone for two dances then came back, why he had chosen to come back to her rather than stay with Reinette.

He had to admit it or risk everything they already had. "Because I couldn't leave you, Rose. There, are you satisfied now? Is that what you wanted to hear me say? That I can't just leave you?"

Rose put her other arm on his then reached up and whispered in his ear, "Then dance with Doctor." She let go and stood back.

"We just danced Rose." He stopped and looked at her as she stood swaying in front of him, the sway that melted him every time she did it.

Rose walked back to him, took his hand then put her arm around his neck. "You'll find your feet on the end of your legs," she teased as she started to move against his hips. Something she had told him long ago now.

As if on cue, the clever manipulating ship had sensed her move and started playing Glen Miller's 'Moonlight Serenade'

"Oh, you mean for me to 'dance' with you as in the Captain Jack version of dancing?" he quizzed with a big smile on his face.

As they danced around the console, he was occasionally dipping her and manoeuvring her towards the corridor and down towards her room.

"Now you're getting it," she laughed as she opened her bedroom door and hoped the Tardis had taken pity on her and tidied it for her.

As they danced into her room, Rose sent her other best friend, the ship a great big mental 'Thank You' and Rose and her Doctor spent the rest of the night 'dancing' in her bedroom.

The End!


End file.
